Leader of the House of Lords

Leader of the House of Lords: Written Questions

Lord Boateng: To ask the Leader of the House on how many occasions she has been asked to respond to Lords written questions about human rights in each of the last three years in respect of (1) Belarus, (2) Mali, (3) Nicaragua, and (4) Cameroon.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: I have not been asked any written questions about human rights in Belarus, Mali, Nicaragua or Cameroon.Over the past three years other Ministers have regularly answered questions about these four countries, including most recently: HL2108 (Belarus), HL2053 (Mali), HL952 (Nicaragua) and HL2735 (Cameroon).

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Horizon Europe

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date they applied to join the Horizon Europe programme; on what date the application was accepted; what were the reasons for the delay to the start of the UK’s participation in the programme; and what assessment they have made of the effects of that delay on research institutions in the UK.

Lord Callanan: The UK and the EU agreed the terms for our association to Horizon Europe under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). As the underpinning EU legislation was not yet adopted when the TCA was agreed, this was accompanied by a Joint Declaration on Participation in Union Programmes and Access to Programme Services, which set out the parties’ intention to formalise our participation at the earliest opportunity. Now that the EU legislation underpinning the Horizon Europe programme is in force, the UK stands ready to formalise our participation.

Cabinet Office

United Kingdom

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland on UK sovereignty.

Lord Frost: The Government’s position on this matter is set out in Command Paper (CP 502), published on 21 July. Article 1 of the Northern Ireland Protocol states that “This Protocol respects the essential State functions and territorial integrity of the United Kingdom.” Nonetheless, the Government is clear that the current governance arrangements under the Protocol must evolve to reflect the reality that the Protocol is an agreement between two sovereign and autonomous entities, not a relationship of subordination where one party’s rules have to be applied mechanically by the other. That is why the UK's Command Paper sets out the Government's intention to remove the remaining role of the EU institutions and of the CJEU in Northern Ireland.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to facilitate an emergency meeting of the G7 to address the (1) hoarding, and (2) wasting, of COVID-19 vaccines by developed countries.

Lord True: The UK continues to work with our G7 partners to implement the vaccines commitments made at the G7 Leaders' Summit and to coordinate further international efforts, including ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Rome 30-31 October, to support our shared goal of global vaccination from COVID-19.

Travellers: Ethnic Groups

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) departments, and (2) other publicly-funded bodies, categorise Gypsies, Travellers and Roma as “white minority ethnic groups” for statistical and reporting purposes, rather than designating them either as “white British” or “minority ethnic”.

Lord True: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.  Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician Baroness WhitakerHouse of LordsLondon SW1A 0PW22 September 2021 Dear Baroness Whitaker, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what steps have been taken to ensure that departments, and other publicly-funded bodies, categorise Gypsies, Travellers and Roma as ‘white minority ethnic groups’ for statistical and reporting purposes, rather than designating them either as ‘white British’ or ‘minority ethnic’ (HL2813). A core principle of the UK Statistics Authority’s strategy Statistics for the Public Good[1] is inclusivity. I can assure you that we are taking steps towards ensuring our statistics reflect the experiences of everyone in our society so that everyone counts and is counted, and that no one is forgotten. Following consultation, research, and testing by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), a new ‘Roma’ response option was added to the ethnic group question within the higher-level ‘White’ category for Census 2021 for England and Wales[2]. This was in addition to the ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’ response option, which has been included since the 2011 Census[3]. Our Census 2021 output and analysis plans[4] include separate tailored analysis on both the Gypsy and Irish Traveller communities and the Roma communities in England and Wales. As part of developing this analysis we are engaging with Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller community organisations, as well as other government and expert users, to better understand the data and analysis needs around these communities. The GSS (Government Statistical Service) harmonised standards set out how to collect and report statistics to ensure comparability across different data collections in Government. For ethnicity[5], we suggest reporting with greater granularity, which has been recommended by the Minister for Equalities (‘Departments and other agencies should publish a statement on GOV.UK outlining their plans to move their data collections to the Government Statistical Service’s (GSS) harmonised ethnicity data standard’.[6]) Over the past 12 months these standards have been adopted as the GDS’s (Government Digital Service) design pattern[7] for equalities information, meaning that Government digital services collecting administrative information are recommended to adopt these standards. In addition, the GSS Harmonisation Champions Network[8], which includes representatives from all departments across Government which publish National Statistics, also encourage their departments to adopt these harmonised standards. Finally, I’d like to highlight the work of the Inclusive Data Taskforce (IDTF), a group of senior academics and civil society leaders with expertise on a range of equalities topics and research methods. In October 2020, I commissioned this group to develop recommendations on how to make a step-change in the inclusivity of UK data and evidence in a broad range of areas, including ethnicity. Their recommendations will be launched on 28 September and will form the basis of a programme of work to be taken forward across government and more widely to radically improve the UK’s inclusive data infrastructure, including in relation to different ethnic groups.  Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond [1] https://uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/statistics-for-the-public-good/[2]https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/questiondevelopment/nationalidentityethnicgrouplanguageandreligionquestiondevelopmentforcensus2021[3]https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/census/2011census/howourcensusworks/howweplannedthe2011census/questionnairedevelopment/finalisingthe2011questionnaire/final-recommended-questions-2011-ethnic-group_tcm77-183998.pdf[4]https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/census2021outputs/2021dataproducts/analysis/ethnicgroupnationalidentitylanguageandreligion[5] https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/policy-store/ethnicity/[6] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/second-quarterly-report-on-progress-to-address-covid-19-health-inequalities[7] https://design-system.service.gov.uk/patterns/equality-information/[8] https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/about-us/champion-networks/harmonisation-champions/

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the incidence of cases of COVID-19 in the UK on 1 September compared to the average incidence rate across Europe on that day, and (2) the reasons why the UK rate was higher than the European average.

Lord Kamall: Data on the incidence of COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom is not available in the format requested, therefore no such assessment has been made.

Students: Quarantine

Baroness Morgan of Huyton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the differences between the COVID-19 self isolation rules applying to domestic and international students who are fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved for use in this country; and what is the scientific or clinical basis for these differences.

Lord Kamall: No such assessment has been made as domestic and international students are treated in the same way as any other individual. All those testing positive must self-isolate, regardless of vaccination status or where they were vaccinated. Those fully vaccinated in the United Kingdom are exempt from self-isolation if identified as a close contact. Those vaccinated abroad, are required to self-isolate if identified as a close contact.

General Practitioners: Finance

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have, if any, (1) to remove funding from General Practitioners who do not offer face-to-face appointments, and (2) to amend the funding formula for General Practitioners so that it is based on the number of patients seen rather than the number of patients registered with the practice.

Lord Kamall: There are currently no plans to remove funding from general practitioners (GPs) who do not offer face to face appointments. NHS England and NHS Improvement, have stated that GP contractors should continue to offer a blended approach of face-to-face and remote appointments, with digital triage where possible. Patients input into the choice of consultation mode should be sought and practices should respect preferences for face-to-face care unless there are good clinical reasons to the contrary, for example the presence of COVID-19 symptoms.The global sum allocation formula which underpins capitation payments to general practices is designed to ensure that resources are directed to practices based on an estimate of their patient workload and unavoidable practice costs. Under this formula, practices whose registered patients have greater healthcare needs are paid more per patient than practices whose registered patients have fewer healthcare needs. There are currently no plans to change the formula.

Health Services: Coronavirus

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports that the NHS spent£400 million per month on private sector healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, why only one third of private sector capacity was utilised.

Lord Kamall: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement worked with the independent sector to secure appropriate inpatient capacity and other resource across England. Initially, contracts placed with the independent sector took 100% of their capacity, including staff and equipment. The arrangements were later refined to provide guaranteed access to sufficient capacity to carry out the required level of activity.

Coronavirus: Death

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many of the people who (1) have contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital, and (2) died from COVID-19 contracted after admission to hospital, were infected by non-vaccinated NHS staff.

Lord Kamall: Public Health England’s findings show up to one in six infections among hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in England during the first six months of the pandemic could be attributed to hospital-acquired infection. This represents less than 1% of the estimated three million COVID-19 cases during this period.Of the patients with hospital-onset COVID-19 that was probably or definitely hospital-acquired, 41.3% died within 28-days of contracting COVID-19.PHE does not collect data on the number of people who were infected with COVID-19 by non-vaccinated National Health Service staff and subsequently died, as this information is unavailable.

Health Services: Gender Recognition

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the processes that NHS trusts use (1) to arrange and specify facilities for transgender patients, and (2) to take into account the needs of other patients who may be sharing facilities with transgender patients.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the provision of single sex wards by NHS trusts.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to whether Annex B in NHS England's Delivering same sex accommodation guidance is consistent with the aim to provide of single sex wards by NHS Trusts.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to commission a review of the provision of single sex accommodation by NHS Trusts.

Lord Kamall: No assessment has been made of the process used by National Health Service trusts for arranging these facilities nor the provision of single sex wards.We expect all NHS trusts to follow all aspects of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance Delivering same-sex accommodation, which sets out the small number of clinical circumstances where mixed-sex accommodation can be justified and also allows, in Annex B, for people to be allocated to wards according to their presentation, such as their preferred dress and pronouns . A copy of the guidance is attached. NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently reviewing this guidance, including whether the Annex is consistent with the provision of single sex wards.

NHS: Coronavirus

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are taken when NHS staff (1) deliberately infect a patient, or (2) carelessly or recklessly infect a patient with COVID-19; and what sanctions apply in such cases.

Lord Kamall: Where there was sufficient evidence to show that an individual had behaved in such a way as to deliberately infect a patient, or carelessly or recklessly infect a patient with COVID-19 or any other disease, the employing organisation would consider the specific facts of the case in accordance with their local disciplinary policy and procedures. This may result in dismissal as the ultimate sanction.

Life Expectancy

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what comparisons they have made of life expectancy in different communities in the UK; and what policy initiatives they have pursued as a result of such comparisons.

Lord Kamall: In England, life expectancy for men is 9.4 years lower for those in the most deprived areas compared to those in the least deprived areas. For women, it is 7.7 years lower for those in the most deprived areas compared to those in the least deprived areas. To improve life expectancy and reduce disparities, we have undertaken prevention measures such as an updated obesity strategy, NHS Health Checks, a tobacco control plan and a diabetes prevention programme. The National Health Service also delivers national vaccination and screening programmes. Delivery of public health services is devolved to local authorities where resources are needed for their communities.

Influenza: Vaccination

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the delivery of flu vaccinations this winter of the shortage of HGV drivers in the UK.

Lord Kamall: The Department works closely with manufacturers to assess the impact of any HGV driver shortages on the delivery of flu vaccinations. Due to the nature of seasonal flu vaccine manufacturing, short delays in production and delivery of the flu vaccine are common and factored into delivery timescales.

Medical Equipment: Innovation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the National Health Service supply chain's record in adopting innovative medical devices.

Lord Kamall: NHS Supply Chain does not determine which products are appropriate for adoption by the National Health Service but respond where products are selected by NHS England and NHS Improvement for adoption via routes such as MedTech Funding and the Accelerated Access Collaborative.Medical devices cover a wide spectrum of products, including digital health. A number of procurement frameworks have been established allow the NHS to procure digital innovations. Such framework agreements already accommodate medical device innovations from existing suppliers and there are currently no plans for additional frameworks. Initiatives such as the Rapid Uptake Products programme facilitate stronger adoption of proven innovations, by identifying products with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s approval which support the NHS Long Term Plan’s key clinical priorities.

Health Services: Older People

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what input they had into the NHS Surge and Triage briefing paper drawn up by NHS England in 2016 following a pandemic planning exercise which discussed the withdrawal of hospital care from elderly patients in the event of a severe flu pandemic.

Lord Kamall: The draft 2016 briefing paper was developed by NHS England and NHS Improvement for clinical deliberation and discussion with the then Chief Medical Officer.

Generic Prescribing

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of competition in keeping the price of generic medicine down; and what plans they have to ensure the National Health Service does not pay inflated prices for such medicine.

Lord Kamall: Competition to reduce the prices of generic medicines has led to some of the lowest prices in Europe and allows prices to react to the market. Anti-competitive behaviour, including excessive pricing, is a matter for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The Department asks the CMA to investigate where it has concerns about abuses of competition law for generic medicines. Where companies are found by the CMA to be in breach of the legislation, the Department will seek damages and invest that money back into the National Health Service.

Coronavirus

Baroness Rawlings: To ask Her Majesty's Government what constitutes a COVID-19 (1) pilot scheme, (2) event research programme, (3) trial; and how many there have been of each of these in the last two years.

Lord Kamall: A pilot scheme tests a policy before it becomes operational to identify any delivery challenges and how these can be overcome ahead of wider deployment. A pilot is limited in its delivery by time period, volume, context or geography, or any combination of these. Within NHS Test and Trace there have been 158 pilot schemes.The Events Research Programme (ERP) is a single cross-Government programme which ran a number of event pilots. It aims to examine the risk of transmission of COVID-19 from attendance at events to enable people to attend a range of events safely. The programme is exploring how a combination of testing and non-pharmaceutical interventions or actions that people can take to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, can inform decisions on safely lifting restrictions at events. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is currently leading the ERP, which has conducted 42 pilot events within the programme.Trials are put in place to identify solutions to a specific research question. They are run within formal research governance and are listed on an open science platform, available to the scientific community. The outcomes of trials are prepared for peer-reviewed publications. Information on the number of all such COVID-19 trials is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Liothyronine

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the finding by the Competition and Markets Authority that drug companies had over-charged the National Health Service, what plans they have to reduce the price thatthe National Health Service pays for liothyronine.

Lord Kamall: Since 2016, several marketing authorisations have been granted for liothyronine, therefore the National Health Service reimbursement price in primary care has been reducing as a direct response to more competition in the market.

Social Services: Finance

Lord Lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the extra money for social care announced on 7 September will go to pay for (1) the cap, and (2) the revised means test; and how much will go to improving care provision for those in need.

Lord Kamall: Allocations and profiles will be confirmed as part of the forthcoming Spending Review, which will set out the Government’s spending plans for health and social care for future years. We will work with care users, providers and other partners to develop a white paper for reform later this year.

Mental Health Services

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the availability of mental health care, following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Kamall: In March 2021, we published COVID-19 mental health and wellbeing recovery action plan: Our plan to prevent, mitigate and respond to the mental health impacts of the pandemic during 2021 to 2022, funded by an additional £500 million for 2021-22 to address waiting times for services. The plan aims to respond to the pandemic by specifically targeting groups which have been most impacted, including those with severe mental illness, young people and frontline staff. A copy of the plan is attached.COVID-19 mental health and wellbeing recovery plan (pdf, 304.8KB)

Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021

Baroness Wheeler: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the impact assessment for The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021will be submitted to the Regulatory Policy Committee; and when they expect to publish this assessment.

Lord Kamall: The impact assessment for The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 has been submitted to the Regulatory Policy Committee and is currently undergoing independent scrutiny.

Patients

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how (1) NHS hospitals, and (2) GPs, were consulted on the lists of those deemed clinically extremely vulnerable.

Lord Kamall: The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers and other senior clinicians developed clinical consensus about which conditions should automatically consider someone as clinically extremely vulnerable. This has been updated throughout the pandemic based on the latest evidence. From April 2020, general practitioners (GPs) and clinicians were asked to review their patient lists and given the ability to add or remove individuals from the Shielded Patient List where appropriate. In February 2021, individuals were identified by the COVID-19 population risk assessment and added to the Shielded Patient List. Significant changes affecting clinically extremely vulnerable people have been communicated with GPs through the Primary Care Bulletin.

Autism: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to produce a strategy for the transition to adult care of children with autism who have brain tumours, and (2) to review the age classification for when people with autism are considered to be young adults.

Lord Kamall: The Department has no plans to produce a specific strategy or to review the age at which autistic people are considered to be young adults. However, on 21 July, we published The national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026. The new strategy is aimed at tackling the health and care inequalities autistic people face and includes supporting positive transitions into adulthood for autistic children and young people, including those with co-occurring conditions. A copy of the strategy is attached. Health and social care services should adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines when supporting autistic children to adult care.Strategy for autistic, young people and adults (pdf, 528.0KB)

Hospitals: Construction

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the communications advice issued by the Department of Health and Social Care to NHS Trusts on the new hospitals programme.

Lord Kamall: In October 2020 we announced details of 32 new hospitals to be built by 2030. To support communications around the plans for their schemes, the Department has issued guidance for information to trusts in the programme. A redacted copy of the guidance is attached, with personal information removed.NEW HOSPITAL PROGRAMME COMMUNICATIONS PLAYBOOK (pdf, 364.9KB)

Cardiovascular System: Diseases

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps (1) NHS England, and (2) NHS Improvement, are taking to implement the commissioning policies for cardiovascular procedures to ensure all vulnerable patients have access to them.

Lord Kamall: NHS England and NHS Improvement with NHSX are working to provide support for people at greater risk of heart failure, heart attack and stroke by increasing access to remote monitoring and management of their blood pressure via the NHS Blood Pressure at home programme.Providing greater access to echocardiography in primary care will improve the investigation of those with breathlessness, a key heart failure symptom. The National Health Service will also improve cardiac rehabilitation to prevent up to 23,000 premature deaths and 50,000 acute admissions over 10 years.

Mental Health Services: Veterans

Lord Coaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the timeframe is for the £2.7 million funding increase for Operation Courage.

Lord Coaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the annual budget for Operation Courage (1) before, and (2) after, the £2.7 million funding increase.

Lord Coaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many care co-ordinators will be appointed as a result of the £2.7 million funding increase for Operation Courage.

Lord Coaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government when care co-ordinators will be appointed as a result of the £2.7 million funding increase for Operation Courage.

Lord Coaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many referrals Operation Courage received in (1) June, (2) July, and (3) August.

Lord Kamall: Operation Courage has a recurrent annual budget of £17.6 million. This will increase to £18.5 million per year following the £2.7 million of additional funding. Discussions are ongoing between NHS England and Operation Courage providers on the number of care co-ordinators which can be appointed and when this will take effect. Referrals to Operation Courage in June 2021 were 437; 363 in July; and 362 to 28 August.

Hives

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the socio-economic impact of Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria on individuals and the NHS.

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the numbers of people living with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria in (1) England, (2) each clinical commissioning group, and (3) each integrated care system.

Lord Kamall: No assessment has been made.

Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Independent Review

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reconsider their response to the recommendation in the report of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review First do no harm, published on 8 July 2020, that separate schemes should be set up to meet the cost of providing additional care and support to those who have experienced avoidable harm from hormone pregnancy tests, valproate and pelvic mesh interventions.

Lord Kamall: The Government did not accept this recommendation and there are no plans to reconsider this response. Our priority is to make medicines and devices safer and we are pursuing a wide range of activity to further this aim. The response explains the changes that have been put in place since the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review report’s publication and the further action the Government will take to implement the recommendations accepted and to improve patient safety.

Brain: Tumours

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a strategy for the (1) prevention, and (2) treatment,of brain tumours in children and young adults, and (3) aftercare for such people.

Lord Kamall: NHS England has no plans to do so.Services for the treatment of brain tumours in children and young adults falls under NHS England’s direct commissioning responsibilities for specialised services. The NHS Long Term Plan includes a number of commitments for improving the outcomes and experience of children, teenagers and young adults with cancer including: implementing networked care; simplifying pathways and transitions between service; ensuring that every patient has access to specialist care and increasing participation in clinical research.

Social Services: Finance

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their report Build Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care, published on 7 September, what plans theyhave to make changes to the formula used foreligibilityfunding in adult social care financial assessments.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what tariff income formula they will use to calculate personal care funding entitlement for those with assets between £20,000 and £100,000 under theplans for England set out in Build Back Better: Our Plan for Health and Social Care,published on 7 September.

Lord Kamall: The upper capital limit will increase from £23,250 to £100,000 and lower capital limit from £14,250 to £20,000. Anyone with assets between the capital limits will be expected to contribute towards the cost of their care from their income, but if that is not sufficient, they will contribute no more than 20% of their chargeable assets per year. Those with £20,000 or less will pay what they can afford from their income only, leaving their assets fully protected. These changes allow for an increase in number of people who benefit directly from state support in the social care system from around half to two thirds in the long term.

Doctors' List of Patients: Travellers

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent finding by Friends, Families and Travellers, published on 8 July, which found that 74 per cent of GP surgeries breached NHS England guidelines and the Equality Act 2010 in March and April by refusing to register nomadic patients.

Lord Kamall: NHS England and NHS Improvement and the Department are engaging with Friends, Families and Travellers on their report to understand the issues raised. NHS England and NHS Improvement have been clear on the need to continue to register new patients throughout the pandemic. Patients can register without attending the practice by delivering their applications by any means, including by post and digitally. Any patient refused registration and who is not registered with another practice may request immediate necessary treatment for a new or pre-existing condition for up to 14 days.

NHS: Anniversaries

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they did not mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS in 2018 with the creation of a National NHS Charity; and why they intend to mark the 75th anniversary in 2023 with the creation of such a charity.

Lord Kamall: We have no plans to create a national National Health Service charity. There are currently 241 charities in the United Kingdom which collectively raise £1 million a day for the NHS. NHS Charities Together is the national umbrella organisation of which all NHS charities are members.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Cameroon: Human Rights

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what is their latest assessment of human rights in Cameroon, and (2) what steps they are taking to improve human rights in Cameroon through the bilateral trade agreement with that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Reports of further human rights violations are disturbing. At the UN Security Council in June, the UK's Permanent Representative reiterated the UN Secretary General's call for the violence to end and for all actors to stop attacks against civilians. At the UN Human Rights Council this month, the UK called for an end to violence and impartial investigations to hold the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses to account. The former Minister for Africa iterated these calls during his visit to Cameroon in March. HMG also urges the Government of Cameroon to engage fully with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.The Government's approach is clear that using trade to support development and prosperity is not mutually exclusive to the rule of law, protecting human rights, and democratic principles. We continue to press the Cameroonian Government to uphold these principles, which underpin the Economic Partnership Agreement.

Afghanistan: Genocide

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their framework for the analysis of the early warning signs of genocide, what assessment they have made of (1) the early warning signs of atrocity crimes in Afghanistan, and (2) the risk of genocide against the Hazaras.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. As Minister for Human Rights, I made clear in my address to the UN Human Rights Council on 24 August, the UK is committed to protecting the human rights of all Afghan people. This commitment extends to all ethnic and religious groups, including the Hazara community. The UK also led work on the recent UN Security Council resolution 2593, which made clear the Security Council's intent to Taliban actions, including their resppect for human rights

Nigeria: Religious Freedom

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent events in Kaduna State, Nigeria, including (1) the reported killing of Reverend Silas Yakubu Ali and at least 11 others, (2) the reported kidnap of Reverend Benson Yakusak, and (3) the role of Jihadist ideology in violence in the area.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We condemn all violence across Nigeria, the devastating effects of which are felt by communities of different faiths. We condemn the killing of Reverend Silas Yakubu Ali in Southern Kaduna, an area that has a long history of intercommunal violence. We welcome reports that Reverend Benson Yakusak was released. Jihadist ideology is a driver of the conflict involving terrorist groups in the North East. The drivers of intercommunal violence elsewhere in Nigeria are complex and frequently relate to competition over resources and criminality.The former Minister for Africa visited Nigeria in April where he discussed insecurity, including kidnaps, with the Foreign Minister and the President's Chief of Staff, and raised the importance of protecting all communities. We regularly visit states affected by intercommunal violence to engage with state governments, civil society, faith and community leaders and affected communities. We continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to protect all those at risk of violence, to bring perpetrators to justice and to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence.

Yazidis: Missing Persons

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to locate missing Yazidi women and children following the genocide of Yazidis by ISIL in 2014.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to work with (1) the #BringBackThe Yazidis initiative, and (2) international partners, to ensure that missing Yazidi people are located and rescued.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We continue to press the Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Governments for more progress on security and services in the liberated areas of Iraq and to solve disputed internal boundaries. The passage of the Yazidi Survivors Law in March 2021 is a welcome first step toward justice and reparations for survivors of Daesh atrocities. This law also includes provisions to search for missing survivors. The UK is supporting the implementation of the law, including through support to the Directorate for Survivors Care. We are also funding psycho-social care for female minority survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Iraq.

Mali: Peacekeeping Operations

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consequences of the reduction of the French military actions in Mali for (1) the UK, (2) the UK’s joint military operation with France, and (3) the UK's contribution to the United Nation’s action in the Sahel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is in contact with our French partners on their planned changes to operations in the Sahel. We have had assurances that France will retain the critical support functions such as force protection, medical and logistical support, which allow the UK to effectively contribute to operations in the Sahel.

Lebanon: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken (1) to support the new government of Lebanon, and (2) to urge immediate reforms to address the crises in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a long-standing friend of Lebanon and the Lebanese people. On 10 September, the former Foreign Secretary said: "The formation of a new Lebanese government must be followed by implementation of urgent reforms, a transparent conclusion of the investigation into the tragic Beirut explosion and timely elections next year. The UK supports Lebanon, but we must see concerted action". We continue to press the new government to implement the reforms needed set the country on a more sustainable footing.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the peace process in Yemen; and when they last discussed the situation in that country with the government of Oman.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We support fully the UN-led peace process in Yemen and urge the parties to engage constructively with the new UN Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg. UK Ministers engage with their regional counterparts on Yemen regularly to encourage efforts towards a political solution and end the humanitarian suffering. We welcome the recent diplomatic activity by Oman. On 14 September, the UK Ambassador to Yemen met Omani Foreign Minister Sayd Badr to discuss how best to coordinate our efforts.

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) Tajikistan, (2) Uzbekistan, and (3) Turkmenistan, about the situation in Afghanistan following the takeover by the Taliban.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: I most recently visited Uzbekistan on 14 September, after also visiting Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the week of 30 August for discussions on Afghanistan. The former Foreign Secretary also had telephone conversations with the Uzbek Foreign Minister on 6 September and the Tajik Foreign Minister on 2 September. I called the Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, on 3 September, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan on 25 August and Deputy Foreign Minister of Tajikistan on the same day. We held discussions with counterparts on securing safe passage for those fleeing Afghanistan and advancing the government's international priorities.

Africa: Immigration

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of (1) the rate, and (2) the character, of migration north from Sudan, Mali, Niger, Libya and the Mediterranean; and if so, what are the implications for the UK’s foreign and development policy of this assessment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In the year up to June 2021, overall detections of irregular border crossings at the external land and sea borders of Europe were fairly stable compared with the previous year, up 11% to 151,150.The UK has been a major contributor in the humanitarian response to the Mediterranean migration crisis, having allocated over £175 million since October 2015. We remain committed to engaging with European and other partners on a 'whole of route' approach to tackling the challenges and risks posed by irregular migration.

South Sudan: Peace Negotiations

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to revive peace agreements in South Sudan following President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s withdrawal from talks in Rome.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has consistently urged all armed groups in South Sudan to bring an end to conflict and to abide by their commitments to the 2017 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. This includes via longstanding support to, and engagement at, peace talks convened by the Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome. We are however deeply concerned by continued incidents of violence, including an attack in August on the Juba-Nimule highway, which triggered President Kiir's decision to withdraw from talks.Our Ambassador in Juba publicly condemned this incident and we continue to engage with all sides to press them to meet their commitments and end such violence. We remain in contact with Sant'Egidio to support their efforts to revive talks as part of our wider efforts to drive progress on the implementation of the 2018 Peace Agreement.

Gaza: Reconstruction

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofproposals of the new government to Israel for the reconstruction of Gaza while isolating Hamas.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We welcome Foreign Minister Lapid's speech on 12 September, proposing positive policy suggestions to support economic development in Gaza and greater security for Israel. A long-term solution for Gaza is needed to prevent further conflict and make progress towards a two-state solution. The UK will continue to urge the parties to prioritise progress towards reaching a durable solution for Gaza and to take the necessary practical steps to ensure Gaza's reconstruction and economic recovery.

Cameroon: Human Rights

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Cameroon about ensuring the legal protection of (1) human rights defenders, and (2) civil society activists, in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the crisis in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon, including the disturbing reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and the security forces. In a visit to Cameroon in March, the previous Minister for Africa met President Biya, Prime Minister Ngute and Foreign Minister Mbella Mbella, where he set out the UK's commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution.We work in conjunction with international partners, such as France and the United States, to raise the crisis in multilateral fora. The UK's International Ambassador for Human Rights set out at the UN Human Rights Council on 26 February that the violence must end and urgent, impartial investigations must hold the perpetrators to account. At the UN Security Council briefing on UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) on 7 June, the UK reiterated the UN Secretary General's call for an end to violence and for all actors to refrain from attacks against civilians, including human rights defenders and civil society activists.

Cameroon: Humanitarian Aid

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Cameroon's non-governmental organisation registration directive on the ability of international and local humanitarian and civil society groups to operate in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government continues to support the work of international and local humanitarian and civil society groups in Cameroon, where the UK has called for unimpeded humanitarian access and open civil society engagement. The UK's representative reiterated these calls at the UN Security Council briefing on the UN Regional Office for Central Africa in June. Alongside others in the diplomatic community and the UN, the British High Commission in Yaoundé continues to advocate for access.According to the recent registration directive in Cameroon, only international NGOs have been required to submit a set of documents including their acts of authorisation for review by the authorities. Following a coordinated request from international actors, the Ministry has since agreed to extend the deadline by a further two months. The British High Commission will continue to monitor this development, and to take appropriate actions if necessary.

Cameroon: Humanitarian Situation

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in Cameroon.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government remains concerned about the humanitarian situation throughout Cameroon. In the Far North region, where there are 322,000 internally displaced people, 115,000 Nigerian refugees, and 380,000 people are food insecure, the UK is providing almost £3 million of humanitarian funding through our partners. In the North-West and South-West regions, where 1.15 million people suffer from food insecurity, the UK is providing around £2 million of humanitarian funding.We regularly discuss the crisis with the Government of Cameroon. During the previous Minister for Africa's visit to the country in March, he met project partners to witness the impact of UK aid and called for unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need. The UK's representative reiterated these calls at the UN Security Council briefing on the UN Regional Office for Central Africa in June. The British High Commission in Yaoundé, alongside the diplomatic community and the UN, continues to advocate for humanitarian access.

Iran: Human Rights

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on 17 December 2020 calling on the government of Iran to investigate past and current human rights violations in the country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has designated Iran as a Human Rights Priority Country, and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor human rights record. This includes using all opportunities during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session. We urge Iran to allow the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran access to the country, to conduct research and investigations into reported human rights concerns.We have always been clear that Iran must uphold its international legal obligations, including conducting thorough and independent investigations into suspected human rights violations, both past and present. We call on President Raisi to set Iran on a different course, which includes committing to improving human rights in Iran.

Religious Freedom

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of whether extremist Islamist ideology is a driver of intercommunal attacks in Nigeria; and what assessment they have made of the findings of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent review of persecution of Christians and freedom of religion or belief.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government condemns all incidents of intercommunal violence in Nigeria, the devastating effects of which are felt by communities of different faiths. The underlying drivers of intercommunal violence are complex and frequently relate to competition over resources and increasing criminality. Islamic extremism is a driver of conflict in the North east and not a driver of intercommunal violence.We have accepted the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro's report. On Nigeria, the report considered intercommunal violence in the Middle Belt and terrorism in the North East. In response to the issues raised in the report on intercommunal violence, the Government co-hosted a Wilton Park conference on 'Fostering Social Cohesion in Nigeria' in February 2020, exploring the complex causes of conflict and solutions to help ease tensions and reduce violence. Since then, we have increased our visits to areas affected by violence to engage with state governments, civil society, faith and community leaders and affected communities. The Minister for Africa visited Nigeria in April, where he discussed insecurity across the country with the President's Chief of Staff, the Foreign Minister and community leaders.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Vacancies

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the quantity of (1) brassicas, (2) salad foodstuffs, (3) fruit, and (4) vegetables, that remain unpicked due to a shortage of workers; and what impact they expect this to have on (a) food prices, and (b) the Consumer Price Index.

Lord Benyon: The Government recognises the importance of a reliable source of labour for crop picking and packing, and that it is a key part of bringing in the harvest for the horticultural sector. Defra is working closely with industry and other Government departments to understand labour supply and demand, and to help our world-leading growers access the labour they need to ensure our crops are picked and not wasted.On 22 December 2020, the Government extended the Seasonal Workers Pilot into 2021, with up to 30,000 visas available, granted for workers to come to the UK, from EU or non-EU countries, for a period of up to 6 months to pick and package fruit and vegetables on our farms.In 2021 and beyond, agricultural and food businesses continue to be able to rely on EU nationals living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status. Over 5.3 million EU citizens and their families have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme and EU nationals who have settled status can continue to travel to the UK to do seasonal work in the horticulture sector in 2021.Defra is working with industry and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to raise awareness of career opportunities within the food and farming sectors among UK workers. All horticultural and agricultural businesses are encouraged to advertise roles through DWP’s Find A Job website, where they can upload and manage their vacancies. The DWP does not charge for this service and it is available across the United Kingdom.Defra is leading on a review of automation in horticulture, which will cover both the edible and ornamental sectors in England. The review will work alongside the extended and expanded Seasonal Workers Pilot - and Defra’s efforts to attract more UK residents into agricultural work – to support the overall aim of reducing the sector’s dependency on seasonal migrant labour.Defra monitors both wholesale fruit and vegetable prices, and food prices on a weekly basis using the Office for National Statistics’ experimental food price indices, as well as on a monthly and annual basis using Consumer Price Index (including Housing Costs). Consumer food prices depend on a range of factors including agri-food import prices, domestic agricultural prices, domestic labour and manufacturing costs, and Sterling exchange rates. Changes in food prices are dependent on changes in any of these factors.

Air Pollution

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to grant new regulatory powers to councils to combat non-transport related pollution.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Local authorities already have powers to require controls on many non-transport sources of pollution through environmental permitting. Through the Environment Bill we are strengthening the Local Air Quality Management framework to broaden the range of partners required to work with local authorities to tackle local sources of pollution, and making it easier for local authorities to use their powers to tackle domestic solid fuel burning. We will continue to work with local authorities to review existing powers and build capability. There are already emission standards that Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) must comply with before they are sold, and the Government recently agreed to increase the stringency of these standards. Defra also recently completed a research project aimed at improving the evidence base on emissions from NRMM, and we are currently considering next steps. We have introduced Medium Combustion Plant and Specified Generator controls which require new generators to meet nitrogen oxide emission limits from January 2019.   Further, since October 2019, operators of existing diesel generators which may pose a risk to local air quality have been required to hold an environmental permit and comply with permit conditions to protect local air quality. New solid fuel boilers placed on the market after 31 December 2019 must comply with the requirements of Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2015/1189 and new regulations will also come into force in 2022 which mean that all new stoves sold in England will need to meet agreed, stringent emission standards. This will raise the minimum standard of new appliances across the country. As outlined in our Clean Air Strategy we will also consider the case for tighter emissions standards for medium combustion plants to those already introduced and to consider how to tackle emissions from smaller plants which do not fall within the scope of these regulations or eco-design regulations.

Home Office

Asylum: Afghanistan

Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to provide visas to Afghan women at risk, especially judges, lawyers, MPs, journalists and human rights defenders, and (2) to work with domestic and international partners on identifying such women.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), announced on 18 August, will provide those put at risk by recent events in Afghanistan with a route to safety. The scheme will prioritise:those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech, rule of law (for example, judges, women’s rights activists, academics, journalists); andvulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+).In delivering the ACRS, the Government will work with the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR and other international partners in the region to identify and resettle people at risk, including women and girls.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Afghan women at risk, including judges, lawyers, MPs, journalists and human rights defenders,were resettled to the UK in August and September.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The United Kingdom evacuated around 5,000 Afghan nationals under the ARAP scheme and around 500 special cases of particularly vulnerable Afghans, including Chevening scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, campaigners for women’s rights, judges, and many others. Around half of those resettled were women.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws: To ask Her Majesty's Government what practical assistance they are providing to Afghan women, particularly judges, lawyers, MPs, journalists, human rights defenders and others at particular risk.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: A bespoke new safe and legal route will welcome Afghans most at risk who have been forced to flee the country, including women, girls and religious and other minorities given their particular vulnerability, to the UK.  The ACRS will prioritise:Those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech, rule of law (for example, judges, women’s rights activists, journalists); and vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+).Under Operation Warm Welcome, we are taking a cross-government approach to ensuring Afghans arriving in the UK are able to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate with their local communities.All those brought to the UK under ACRS will have the right to work, access to education and healthcare and be able to apply for public funds. To ensure they will be supported properly, changes will be made to legislation so that, if necessary, people arriving under ACRS do not need to meet the habitual residence test.They will also receive comprehensive integration support as they start their new lives in the UK. A package of support to acclimatise to the UK, learn English, and find work, will enable rapid self-sufficiency and social integration in UK communities.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Recruitment

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to change immigration rules to allow more HGV drivers to be recruited from overseas.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In response to the current exceptional circumstances facing businesses at this time, we have made available 5,000 visas for HGV drivers to enter the UK on a short-term basis to support the fuel and food supply sector. In line with other routes, eligibility for the visa is not based on whether an applicant is an EU national.This is a temporary measure leading into Christmas to mitigate some of the acute issues experienced at this particular time and until the range of other measures, including ramping up testing capacity and the creation of new Skills Bootcamps for HGV drivers, bite.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Leasehold: Reform

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Greenhalghon 20 July (HL Deb, col 201), what plans they have to grant the Crown Estate “exemptions from the parliamentary undertaking on enfranchisement rights for leaseholders in the next stage of the leasehold reform programme".

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with the Crown Estate on granting it exemptions from the forthcoming second stage of leasehold reform.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. We are taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market. On January 7 the Government announced reforms to enfranchisement valuation, 990-year leases, removing the retirement exemption from zero ground rent measures and commonhold. This was the first part of the Government's response to the Law Commission's reports on enfranchisement, Right to Manage and commonhold.The Law Commission's report on enfranchisement includes recommendations relating to the qualifying criteria for enfranchisement and lease extensions, including the applicability of these to leaseholders of the Crown. We will bring forward a response to these and the other remaining Law Commission recommendations in due course.We will translate these measures into law as soon as possible, starting with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rents) Bill in the current session. This is the first part of major two-part legislation to implement leasehold and commonhold reforms in this Parliament.

Elections: Proof of Identity

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what work they are currently undertaking to prepare for the voter ID provisions in the Elections Bill (HC Bill 138).

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding (1) they have provided, or (2) intend to provide, for (a) staff, and (b) resources, to (i) the Electoral Commission, and (ii) local authorities, to implement the voter ID provisions in the Elections Bill (HC Bill 138).

Lord Tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the (1) costs, and (2) resource requirements, that will be needed to implement the voter ID provisions in the Elections Bill (HC Bill 138).

Lord Greenhalgh: An Impact Assessment, which includes information on the cost and resource requirements for voter identification, was published (attached) alongside the Elections Bill: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3020/publications.HMG will cover the costs for local authorities and will continue the detailed planning ahead of implementation nationally, working closely with those who will be responsible for delivery including Local Authorities, the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives.  Impact assessment (pdf, 903.1KB)

Regional Planning and Development

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any grant from the Levelling Up fund (1) to the Council of the Isles of Scilly, or (2) to any other body, for new vehicle transport ships will (a) require those vessels to have roll-on roll-off capability, (b) need to demonstrate best value for money in accordance with the Fund’s rules, and (c) require a full competitive tendering process for the operation of the vessels.

Lord Greenhalgh: Bids for the first round of the Levelling Up Fund are currently being assessed in line with the published assessment process. Whilst we are not able to answer project-specific questions, or provide advice on potential projects during this period of competition, I can confirm that value for money forms part of the criteria used to assess all bids. More information on the full assessment process, including the assessment of value for money, can be found (attached) in the Levelling Up Fund technical note - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/992647/technical-note-for-application-form.pdfSuccessful bidders will need to adhere to any legislation relevant to the delivery of the project, such as procurement. Outcomes from the first round of bids for the Levelling Up Fund will be announced later in the year and bidding authorities will be informed in due course. Levelling Up Fund (pdf, 643.0KB)

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the (1) support for, and (2) framing of the debate around, terrorists involved in the Troubles in Northern Ireland; and what steps they are taking to work with (a) communities in Northern Ireland, (b) the political representatives of those communities, and (c) representatives of victims of the Troubles, to reduce tensions and aid reconciliation.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government remains committed to addressing the legacy of the past in a way that focuses on reconciliation and helping society in Northern Ireland look to the future. Since the publication of the Government’s Command Paper in July, we have engaged bilaterally and multilaterally with stakeholders from Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland on our legacy proposals - including political parties, victims groups and other representatives from across the Northern Ireland community.The Government continues to engage and reflect on the many different perspectives we have heard, while being clear that we will never accept any equivalence between those who perpetrated violence in Northern Ireland, and those who sought to uphold the law or abide by it.The Government also continues to invest in social development across Northern Ireland, strengthening social cohesion and building stronger, safer communities, including through the £730 million PEACE PLUS programme announced in September 2021 to support economic stability, peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.